title: Morphology, molecular data, and development of Zschokkella mugilis (Myxosporea, Bivalvulida) in a polychaete alternate host, Nereis diversicolor.
abstract: The morphology of Zschokkella mugilis Sitjà-Bobadilla and Alvarez-Pellitero, 1993 (Myxosporea, Bivalvulida) in Nereis diversicolor O. F. Müller, 1776 is described for the first time. The molecular data show that the actinospore has 100% similarity to the myxospore of Z. mugilis. Fully mature actinospores are tri-radiate, the spore body has a small process, and the sporoplasm has 2 inner daughter cells. In the polychaete, the spores of the parasite develop in groups of 8 inside pansporocysts. The schizogony phase takes place in the intestinal epithelium, while gametogony and sporogony occur in the coelom of the polychaete. Observations indicate that mature spores are released only during the polychaete reproductive season. Infection was detected only in the winter and spring. In the Aveiro estuary (Portugal), the overall prevalence of infection of the polychaete was 0.5%.
authors.affiliation: Universidade do Porto, Faculdade de Ciências, Departamento de Zoologia-Antropologia, Rua do Campo Alegre, s/n. Edifício FC4, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Luís F
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Rangel
authors.forename: Maria J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: Gábor
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cech
authors.forename: Csaba
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Székely
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D004275:DNA, Ribosomal / Q000737:chemistry; D005393:Fish Diseases / Q000469:parasitology / Q000635:transmission; D008018:Life Cycle Stages; D008857:Microscopy, Interference; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D055764:Myxozoa / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D010273:Parasitic Diseases, Animal / Q000469:parasitology / Q000635:transmission; D011077:Polychaeta / Q000469:parasitology*; D011174:Portugal; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S / Q000235:genetics; D012621:Seasons; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D023701:Smegmamorpha / Q000469:parasitology; D013170:Spores / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D004275:DNA, Ribosomal; D012337:RNA, Ribosomal, 18S